over the starting catcher role from Tony Wolters, but was a last-minute scratch on August 1 with a stomach illness. Although Lucroy continued to put up pedestrian numbers as a batter, his impact on the Rockies' pitching staff was immediate: the average ERA from the starting rotation dropped from 4.70 to 4.23 between July 30 and September 12, and the bullpen ERA similarly fell from 4.41 to 4.16 since Lucroy was traded to Colorado. The Rockies clinched one of two NL Wild Card spots on September 30, and although Lucroy had two doubles, two runs, and one RBI in that year's NL Wild Card Game, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Colorado 11–8. Lucroy appeared in 46 games for the Rockies after his midseason trade, batting .310 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 142 at bats. He became a free agent at the conclusion of the season. Oakland Athletics (2018) Although Oakland Athletics general manager David Forst had said throughout the offseason that he intended to carry Bruce Maxwell and Josh Phegley as the team's catchers into the 2018 season, when Lucroy remained unsigned throughout the usual free agency period, the Athletics reached out to him. On March 9, he signed a one-year contract with Oakland, moving Maxwell and Phegley down the depth chart and pushing pitcher Jairo Labourt off of the 40-man roster. On April 21, Lucroy caught his first no-hitter when Sean Manaea blanked the Boston Red Sox in 108 pitches. Lucroy, who had previously helped take no-hitters deep into games, referred to the game as the most well-executed pitching effort that he had ever caught. Although he did not hit a home run through his first 31 games, the longest drought in his MLB career, Lucroy produced at the plate in other ways, with a .295 batting average by May 15. His first home run of the season came two weeks later, a solo shot in a 2–1 defeat of the Diamondbacks on May 27. The 2018 season proved an overall step back for Lucroy at the plate, batting .241 with four home runs and 51 RBI, but the Athletics' front office praised his work with their pitching staff. Lucroy enjoyed his time in Oakland, particularly the chemistry built among the team, and in August he told reporters, "We're all running together. A bunch of rejects in Oakland, all having a good time." The Athletics, who had